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3rd Annual “Hot Dog Stand” for Veterans

Our much appreciated hot dog stand for veterans and participants of the Seymour Memorial Day Parade is in the planning stages for 2015!

We are in need of donations of Hot Dogs, but only “Hummel’s Skinless”, and any kind of bottled water. Last year, as a thank you, we were able to serve over 500 hot dogs and water, free of charge, to a lot of very appreciative people! Items can be left in the kitchen, marked accordingly. For more info please see Lynne Foreman or call (203) 881-1250. Thank You and God Bless.

Want to know more about Seymour Congregational Church, UCC? A new member’s class will be forming. See Rev. Ed following worship for more details.

TAG SALE: It’s time to bring in your items for the Tag Sale (please leave in the freezer room on the tables).

SEYMOUR/OXFORD FOOD BANK: Greetings to all, the Seymour Oxford Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help with our May Postal Workers food drive. We are located at Trinity Episcopal Church 91 Church Street in Seymour. The setup is on Friday May 8th 7:00PM, we need help to setup tables and boxes for the incoming food. The Food Drive is Saturday May 9th from 1:30 to 6:30. We are in need of volunteers in two shifts from 1:30 to 4:00 and 3:30 to 6:30. This is a good opportunity to get some conformation hours in! If you would like to help us out you can contact Teri at 203-888-9688 please leave a message with your name and what shift you would like to volunteer for, or you can email me at sofbinc.1@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Teri Archer

ANNUAL TURKEY DINNER – Saturday June 6th @ 5:30 for Dinner – complete with all the fixings! Seating is limited so please get your tickets early: Adults $14 and Children $5

RAFFLE BASKET EXTRAVAGANZA – follows the Turkey Dinner. Raffle tickets, at $1 a chance, are available at any time up to the time of drawing.
Donations of Gift Baskets are needed. Baskets can be done as a committee or by a group of friends. You can make any basket you like or if you want to purchase items for a basket we’ll be happy to put one together for you. There are so many possibilities – sports, children, hobbies, culinary, just use your imagination!
All donations are greatly appreciated!
For tickets please see Teresa Kregling, Debbie Volkmar, or Lynne Foreman.You can also call the Church at 203-888-6729.

BIBLE STUDY: Rev. Ed is holding a Bible Study at 12:30 PM every Thursday. The study will be on the Gospel of Mark. Brown bag lunch.

FLOWERS: Remember our Flower Chart is still blank for April, May and June. Bright flowers on the altar are such a blessing.

BOOK CLUB: Our book club meets the first Friday of each month. We each take turns picking a book of our own choice and then the discussion takes place in our home. Books of every genre are chosen which makes for lively discussion. For more information contact Karen Baker.

PRAYER CHAIN: The Prayer Chain is open to everyone. There is an amazing strength from the power of prayer. To have your email address added to our prayer chain so you will receive notifications of those in need of prayer, let Teresa Kregling know. If you have a prayer request you would like to go out to the people on the Prayer Chain, email or call Teresa and she will send it out.

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY – Are you interested in being a member of the Prayer Shawl Ministry? Please contact Lynda Boynton at 203-888-5473. Shawls are given to bring comfort to those who have suffered a loss, an illness or some misfortune. For more information go to www.shawlministry.com. To request a shawl, leave a message at the church office 203-888-6729.

THIS WEEK

Monday, April 20

3:30 PM Weight Watchers

Tuesday, April 21

6:15 PM Girl Scouts #135

7:00 PM Council

Thursday, April 23

12:30 PM Bible Stud

7:00 PM AA

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OFFICE HOURS THIS WEEK

Reverend – Tues., Wed. & Thurs. – 9:30 AM-4:00 PM

Administrative Asst. – Tues., Wed., & Thurs. – 9:30 AM-1:30 PM

Rev. Ed is here Tues., Wed., and Thurs. from 9:30 AM until 4 PM. He would like to meet members of the congregation, and puts morning hours aside for that.Please call first if you plan to come in the afternoon as Rev. Ed goes out to visit at that time.

Please send your announcements to the church office by WEDNESDAY morning if you wish them to be included in next Thursday’s E-Bridge and Sunday’s bulletin.

Welcome to this week’s E-Bridge

What you will find here :
-Reflections on this week’s text
-What is happening at Seymour Congregational Church
-What is going on around the Conference. Please spend time to review the video on church interdependence found at the end of the E-Bridge.

We have two text this Sunday the First is from Isaiah 40:21-31

This time of year is rough on lots of people. In Connecticut winter has finally arrived. The snow while beautiful when fresh loses its luster soon. The full moon last night lit up my yard, Peg went into the old familiar words of the Christmas Eve Poem “gave a luster of midday to objects below”; After two days of moving the stuff, the luster, I will admit was wearing off. Short days and long nights have a negative effect on many. The grayness and short days often have a wearing effect. Some suffer from seasonal affective disorder, which leads to depression. So that leads me to our first text.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint. [from Isaiah 40]
The prophet was of course speaking to a people in exile, who’d spent a lot of years away from home. They were tired. Tired of the distance, the longing, the not knowing, no luster, powerless.
The prophet’s words come to us also. We get tired. Exhausted, even. Lonely. Faint, the poet says. And what is the word we’re to hear?
Years back when studying biblical languages, I learned that triplets (three-line sequences) in Hebrew poetry, like the one at the end of this chapter, grew in emphasis from the first to the third. In other words, the last line is more important to the author than the middle, and the middle is more important than the first. In this case, that seems counterintuitive to me.
If he were thinking/writing/preaching the way I would, the poet would have said, “They shall walk and not faint, they shall run and not be weary, they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” But his order is just the opposite of what I’d expect.
Surely, I would say, flying like an eagle should be the pinnacle moment of this poem, not walking without falling down. That however is for me what it is all about. Walking and not falling down. How many times have I stood with someone who has broken a wing and is now learning to walk all over again. Walker in hands one step forward.
Here’s what I have grown to love in this poem: Sometimes, no matter how much we long to soar like an eagle, all we can do is barely manage to put one foot in front of the other, over and over and over again. Maybe that is all we can hope for. That the very best thing is simply to be able to walk, in faith and with strength, because God accompanies us.
And from Mark 9:2-9
This is one of those stories that woman hear different than men. There is Jesus doing his thing. Simon-Peter has brought his new found friends over for dinner. Only a guy would do this without calling ahead. And only a guy would have stopped to think if my mother-in law is sick maybe we should dine out and bring her something. I feel for this un-named woman. Who as the woman who read the text note, sick or not Jesus gets her up, a miracle well maybe and off she goes into the kitchen to cook and serve. The real miracle would have been if the men at least delivered some pizza.
See You Sunday

ANNOUNCEMENTS

On February 7th at 9:00 AM, there will be a kitchen cleanup.
Please come and help out. Contact Teresa Kregling with any questions.

THIS Sunday, February 8 is our 2nd Annual Valentine’s Auction.

Get on the good side of your sweetheart! There will be a “healthy” Coffee Hour immediately after church service this Sunday followed by the Live Auction. So grab your coffee or tea, a little nosh, and a bidding paddle (and don’t forget your checkbook!) We have so many wonderful gifts for all ages that have been donated to bid on, including amazing sweet and tasty treats! Come on down to Fellowship Hall after service and join us in the fun!

For donations of baked goods or other food items – Please bring them in before the start of the service on Sunday and be sure to label what the item is and if it contains nuts or is gluten-free. Thank you.

In the event church is cancelled due to the weather, we will have the Auction on Sunday, Feb. 15th.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Peace and Blessings,

Your Parish Life Committee

** Next Sunday, Feb. 15th, the Choir will be starting to rehearse a new Cantata “Sanctuary” to be presented on Palm Sunday in Celebration of the Life of Regina Poniatowski, given by her family and friends. We’re inviting people that like to sing to come join us, be a “Sometime Singer” and sing in the Cantata and for Easter. Grab your coffee and come up to the Choir Room at 11:30 next week! No experience necessary. See You?

**Is any member of your family having a birthday or anniversary? Why not surprise them and put flowers on the altar for their celebration? Or remember a loved one. Flowers mean so much. Our Flower Chart in the hall is completely empty for February and March. Calling YOU to please sign up!!

**Please send your announcements to the church office by WEDNESDAY morning if you wish them to be included in next Thursday’s E-Bridge and Sunday’s bulletin.

**Tag Sale date will be Saturday, May 2nd, 8 am – 2 pm. Members who would like to unload some items can rent a table for $20. A sign up sheet will be posted in March for those wanting to rent a table and for volunteers to help set up/tear down, work at the sale, etc. Please hold off bringing in items until the week following Easter (April 6). Any questions, contact Laura Thompson. Thank you!

**BOOK CLUB: Our book club meets the first Friday of each month. We each take turns picking a book of our own choice and then the discussion takes place in our home. Books of every genre are chosen which makes for lively discussion. For more information contact Karen Baker, 888-0394.

Rev. Ed is here Tues., Wed., and Thurs. from 9:30 AM until 4 PM. He would like to meet members of the congregation, and puts morning hours aside for that. Please call first if you plan to come in the afternoon as Rev. Ed goes out to visit at that time.

Conference News

News and Announcements
One of the new ideas taking place around the conference has been to assist congregations to find mutual ways to work together. Interdependent ministries recognizes that the difficulties the local congregation has when trying to stand alone. It call out to the benefits that occur when congregations find mutual ways to work together. You may wish to view the video by Rev. Siladi as he discusses this new approach.

VIDEO: New Vantage Point Begins Series on Interdependent Ministries HARTFORD — In a new edition of Vantage Point released today via the Connecticut Conference’s YouTube channel, Conference Minister the Rev. Kent Siladi began a series of conversations with local church leaders engaged in interdependent ministries. In the first installment, four pastors joined Rev. Siladi in the Leadership Studio at United Church Center to briefly describe some of the ways they have shared in God’s work with members and ministers of another congregation. 02/04/2015

Conference Calls Michelle Hughes as Associate Conference Minister for Transitions – HARTFORD — In a message to church leaders around the state today, Conference Minister the Rev. Kent Siladi announced that the Rev. Michelle Hughes of Chicago, Illinois, has been called as the first Associate Conference Minister for Transitions, to support and collaborate with local congregations during leadership transitions. “We believe that many of our churches will reap rich harvests from the assistance and training she will be able to bring to them,” he said. 01/23/2015
And Yes ministries do die!

Sunset: the Christian Conference of Connecticut Concludes its Ministry – HARTFORD — With a single candle flickering at the front of the chapel in the Asylum Hill Congregational Church UCC in Hartford, friends, supporters, and admirers of the Christian Conference of Connecticut honored the ecumenical agency’s ministry in worship on Thursday evening, January 15th, as it concluded. Board Secretary the Rev. Bruce Steinway reflected, “To follow Jesus is to make one’s way to the cross — but the cross is not the last word.” 01/21/2015

UPCOMING SERMON NOTES:

The subject of our Sermon on February 15th will be about global warming. Please take a moment and watch this supporting video:

Remember, Sunday is Communion Sunday – Come hungry and ready to be fed!

The text this week comes to us from Matthew 18-

“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

This is one of these text that we silently wink at and then each other we will unpack it a bit Sunday in church but for now let’s at least begin

If another member of the church sins against you… what do we do – just talk about them behind their back.

If another member of the church sins against you…just call a bunch of people in the church to complain about them. You may even want to start a letter-writing campaign against them.

If another member of the church sins against you…just send them a nasty email. Copy the clergy. And, while you’re at it, CC the Senior Deacon or the Regional Minister.

If another member of the church sins against you…don’t say anything. Just avoid them. Un-friend them on Facebook. And, if you can’t avoid them on Sundays, then just leave the church.

…No.

In the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus talks directly to his followers to tell us what our fellowship is to be like. If a brother or sister in the faith hurts you, angers you, saddens you, or does you wrong in any way…you go and talk to them about it directly, one on one. You don’t send someone else in secret – or start a whispering campaign – you don’t go around corners – someone is not happy with something you did – sounds like middle school drama – I know something you don’t know – or kindergarten sandbox – Jesus is clear – go directly to them.

Not only does this manner of working out difficulties lead to forgiveness, it also does so in a graceful way. The offended party isn’t dragging the offender through the mud. If it gets worked out here, no one else needs to know.

Forgiveness is available without fear of embarrassment in the fellowship. It can be done quietly. Lovingly. Gracefully.

However, when that doesn’t work, you bring another person or two with you. This “ratchets” things up a bit, but still provides for grace amidst discretion.

And then, if things can’t be worked out there, you bring it to the whole church.

I’ve seen churches be totally undone by backbiting and whisper campaigns. It can be devastating-and not just to attendance and finances-but it’s devastating to the Christian witness of that faith community, and the Universal Church.

For when that happens, the church ceases to be a place of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. One might say that it ceases to be a church in any discernible fashion.

Forgiveness is meant to be at the core of who we are, and to be honest with you, if we can’t do it between ourselves in the church, how can we ever be agents of reconciliation in the world? Right here, Jesus gives a clear blue-print for how our communities might be holy places where holy relationships might flourish. And, it’s something that we need to practice until it is so ingrained in our DNA, we can’t imagine living another way.

Because, for Jesus, there isn’t another way.

This week’s Connecticut Conference Spirit reflections come to us by Kathy Peters. Kathy is the pastor of Chester Congregational Church.

Dog Days

Romans 13:8-14 (NRSV)

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Reflection:

The Dog Days of summer are gone and school has begun. The end of Labor Day festivities indicates that the lazy days are over and “real” life is back. (The fact that the lazy, hazy days of summer are just a perception and that we are not always good at taking Sabbath time or allowing ourselves such days is a topic for another time!) This by all accounts has been a difficult, war-filled summer, and perhaps we are “happy” to see it end. We live in a world that seems to have forgotten the “law” of love.

My dog is a lover! No matter who you are, what you look like and if you smell a bit funky all the better…he loves you! His tail wags in greeting and his whole body moves with joy if you say hello and pet him. He is one bundle of unconditional love. He does not hold grudges or remember that you called him “bad dog” when he ate the garbage. He will never take anything that is yours though he will look longingly at your dinner plate. He has never killed anything…well maybe an occasional moth or a bug. He will sit by your side, listen without offering a bit of unsolicited advice and is always willing to accompany you on a walk. When you return home at the end of the day, his bounding joy at your presence just fills your soul. You just cannot hurry through life when taking a moment to love like my dog!

Dog Days of the summer kind have been around since ancient times and there is even a reference to them in the 1611 edition of the King James Bible. (Google it!) But if every day we could adopt the ways of my dog: unconditional love, joy in experiencing life, napping often, living the law of love, imagine the possibilities. I hope each day to “wake up” and be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor, and we are all neighbors. When will we learn to love?

See you Sunday

Rev Ed

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Coffee Hour This Sunday

We need volunteers. Any goodies would be greatly appreciated. Clean up would also be helpful. Lynne and Mackenzie will be there early to set up and make coffee, juice and tea. Thanks so much.

It’s Hunger Action Month supported by the Citizens Bank Foundation!

Each September, Hunger Action Month gives Connecticut Food Bank the opportunity to encourage others to take action to solve hunger!

Nearly half a million Connecticut residents, including more than 155,000 children, don’t always know where their next meal is coming from.

Connecticut Food Bank urges you to wear orange – the color of hunger relief – on Thursday, September 4, as part of a nation-wide effort to increase awareness about hunger in our communities. Then send your photo to cfb@ctfoodbank.org for posting on our website and social media channels.

Make plans to join us for two special Hunger Action Month events:

September 4 – Wear orange and get a free orange donut from Tony’s Orangeside Donut Truckparked outside Citizens Bank, 209 Church Street in New Haven from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

September 30 – Volunteers needed for a Connecticut Food Bank Volunteer-a-Thon. Groups and individuals are welcome. Email kdamien@ctfoodbank.org to schedule a time.

22nd Annual Polish Dinner

We would love to have you join us again this year. We will need many hands to make this another successful year. Any donations are welcome.

Thanks, Teresa

SNOWFLAKE FAIR – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Various forms, information, and important dates are on the back table in the fellowship hall. Be sure to check out our “Positively Pink” basket today to see what we have collected so far ~ more items are needed (proceeds from tickets sold for this basket will go to Seymour Pink ~ last year we rounded up to an even $100). A box for donations of miscellaneous items to be incorporated into our basket raffle will be in the hall the end of August. Our first craft nightwill be Friday, September 26th at 5:30 p.m. at Lynne F.’s home. Please bring $5 for pizza and any craft idea you may have. Please see Laura or Jeannette if you have any questions or call the church office.

SUNDAY FLOWERS: We still have several Sundays available in September for you to sign up in the church vestibule to give flowers – In celebration of joyful friendships & special thanks, someone’s birthday, anniversary, or in memory of someone, and to the greater glory of God!

OFFICE HOURS THIS WEEK

Reverend

Tues., Wed. & Thurs. – 9:30 AM-4:00 PM

Administrative Asst.

Tues., Wed., & Thurs. – 9:30 AM-1:30 PM

Rev. Ed is here Tues., Wed., and Thurs. from 9:30 AM until 4 PM. He would like to meet members of the congregation, and puts morning hours aside for that.Please call first if you plan to come in the afternoon as Rev. Ed goes out to visit at that time.

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

Our church’s shawl ministry is appreciated by many and we continue with its mission. Lynda Boynton has agreed to guide this endeavor with new ideas, patterns and prayers that she has gathered from other prayer shawl groups. If you would like to learn more about the Prayer Shawl Ministry of our church, please join us in the gym at 11:15AM TODAY.

CHOIR NEWS

Here’s a fantastic opportunity for you to be part of the fun and fellowship as well as providing the important music ministry of our church. No experience necessary – on the job training available. Just drop in and join us this Thursday at 6:30 PM. The following Thursday, Sept. 18, we are going to have a Pizza Party! Someone was very kind to treat us to pizza. After that we will be having rehearsals on Sundays which is convenient for people that travel from Thomaston, Oakville, West Haven, Derby and Ansonia, and Naugatuck too!

Attention Youth: Our next Give2 event is on Saturday, September 13th, when we will be going to Locket’s Meadow farm in Bethany. This farm is special in that it’s a sanctuary for at-risk farm animals. There are over 40 horses and many are used for therapeutic work and to entertain visitors. We will have more details (time, etc.) by next week. Please let know Mandy know if you are interested in participating.

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Flu and Pneumonia Vaccine: On Sunday, October 5th, Stephanie and the UCONN Pharmacy students will be running their annual Flu Shot clinic. Stephanie will also have the Pneumonia and Shingles shots available. To sign up please see Teresa.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Worship service – 10:00 am

Please join us for coffee hour after service!

From “God is Still Speaking”

Friend’s as we go off into summer I am reminded to remind you that the church will be here – all summer – with all her love and issues and yes, stuff. Please remember to continue to support the church during these quiet months of summer with your time and talents but especially with your tithes. I share with you the following from Rev Quinn Caldwell published in a resent “still speaking”. The still speaking ministry is about many things – one is church stewardship.

HouseQuinn G. Caldwell

“They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat . . .” – Isaiah 65:21-22

Isaiah’s words sound nice, but the fact is, if you build to last, somebody else is going to inhabit your house one day.

Take your church building; aren’t you living in a house somebody else built? Whether we like it or not, generation follows generation, and each one takes over in the end what the previous ones left behind. What kind of house is the next generation of your church going to find when they move in? Is it well-maintained? Cleaned and loved? Are they going to have to spend forever getting rid of all the old crap you’ve let accumulate and ripping down the bulletin boards that you’ve left hanging there with the same stuff on them for the last twenty years?

Or will they discover that somebody figured out how to organize themselves so that the back of the Sanctuary got decluttered regularly and the sills of the stained-glass windows got de-grimed every once in a while? Will they find that you had the discipline to repair broken furniture, to tear down the year-old notices and repaint the hallway once a decade?

Will they move into a house that somebody loved and cared for as if it actually mattered, or will they find a place that looks like it was owned by a hoarder with a cat problem?

Like it or not, somebody else is going to inhabit your house of worship sooner or later. Decide now what you want them to think of you—and God—when they do.

Prayer
God, you provide every shelter house, including the one in which I worship. Help me to care for mine as if I were grateful. Amen.

Announcements

Summer Coffee Hours: We are looking for volunteers to sign up for Coffee Hours this summer.

There is no one signed up thru the summer. Parish Life will be responsible for making sure there is coffee/tea on the table, and while we have some donations of cookies and danish, it is not enough for more than a few Sundays, and we cannot be responsible for providing food every Sunday. There are not as many people in July and August, but they still come hungry and any light snack would be most appreciated. Why not get together with friends or family and sponsor a Coffee Hour? If you would like to just donate a snack, we would welcome that as well.

If you have a craft idea, let Laura or Jeannette know – we plan on having at least 2 craft get-togethers.

For those who did not get an updated Church Directory,

some will be available at Coffee Hour on the table as you walk in.

THANK YOU!!!

Thanks to the Adult Choir for sharing your talent with us all year!

Every Communion Sunday, we invite our members and friends

to participate in two special offerings.

THE DEACONS’ FUND

You will find an extra envelope in the pew on Sunday mornings. Contributions included in this envelope go to the Diaconate Fund – a New England Congregational tradition associated with the observance of the Lord’s Supper and dating from colonial days.

This fund, administered by the Diaconate, is used to help individuals in the Seymour area who have an immediate need usually arising out of some tragedy. Confidentiality is observed, and sometimes only the Pastor and the Chairperson of the Diaconate know the circumstances. We invite you to observe this time-honored tradition as you are able and support our community outreach by remembering others when observing the Sacrament of Communion.

THE SEYMOUR-OXFORD FOOD BANK

This is our second special offering. We encourage our members and friends to bring at least one non-perishable food item on Communion Sundays. (Contributions are accepted at other times.) These items are delivered promptly to the Food Bank at the beginning of the week.

11:15 AM – Cantata Rehearsal – Grab a cup of coffee and come right up and join us!

No experience necessary. Just a desire to sing. Come give it a try!

12:00 PM – Adult Choir Rehearsal

5:00-7:00 PM – AA

GREETERS: Howie Bradshaw & Nancy Rogers

LAYLEADER: Jeanette Raymond

DEACON OF THE MONTH: George Wityak

Please join us after the service in the Fellowship Hall for coffee hour. It is being hosted by Lynne Foreman, “Giving Thanks”. The Altar flowers are given by Lynne & Mackenzie Foreman in Support of and in Honor of anyone who has dealt with cancer, whether directly affected or supportive – you are all so special!

SCRIPTURE

Luke 21:5-19
We would be less than truthful if we said we knew precisely what to make of the Gospel lesson before us now. Falling Temples.
I understand what it means to have temples fall. I have driven by my old home. The tree I played in is gone. The grape vine I hid under is missing my old sacred temples are gone. My world has changed. My old high school still stands but the track field I ran on every day for four long years has been replaced. Many of my childhood places of discovery have been replaced by something unsacred. Another sacred temple removed.
Temples? No, of course not. At least not in the way that Jesus speaks today. But places that seemed permanent and immovable? Yes, they were that. Even so, all these changes do seem to fit into a natural order of what we might understand as progress.
So while I have not seen temples fall in the violent way that Jesus speaks of now, I do know the ache in my own soul to see so much of what I thought would always be, be no longer. The older one gets, the surer one becomes of this. The things that last are not always the things you think will last. Not even the big, impressive, amazingly beautiful ones. No, not even the ones that helped make you who you are.
So while I sort of get the first part of this week’s Gospel reading, I can’t really begin to say that is so about the second part. Except for what I catch on the evening news or skim on my news feed, I don’t know much of nations rising against nations. I have experienced tremors some personal some external. But still I shook.

Do you hear Jesus’ words today as meant for us universally or cosmically, individually, or both/and?

When have you experienced ‘temples falling?’ What was that like? Where did you discover grace?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Name tags for those who asked for them will be on the card table in the Narthex this Sunday. Please wear yours in church and at coffee hour. Take them home and wear them in the next Sunday. Thanks!

SNOWFLAKE FAIR SATURDAYNovember 23rd 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

25 Craft and Specialty Vendor tables, offering hand-painted wooden Santa Claus figurines and ornaments; snow people and soft sculptured snowmen; silk flower arrangements; Amato’s Toy & Hobbies with children’s books, puppets, puzzles, games and craft kits; knitted and crocheted dog coats, towels, pot holders, sweaters, scarves, hats & purses; gift items for cats and the cat lover; wire sculptured jewelry; “Make a Bracelet” a “Thirty-One” rep, and another vendor will be in the choir room. Our own Deanna Imbro and the Sunday school will also have tables with items for sale. We will also have an author with her book “Wings Up” and reps from: Tastefully Simple, Origami Owl, Scentsy Candles, Silpada Designs, Party Lite and Tupperware. Raffles for: Gift baskets, wreaths, homemade quilt and decorated trees; ladies boutique, baked goods table, craft area for kids on the stage and breakfast & lunch served in the Snowflake Café. Silent auction for angel-themed tree will benefit the prayer & serenity garden and youth activities; silent auction for a wreath will benefit the church.

Donations for the baked goods table and desserts for lunch can be dropped off Friday night from 4:30-7:30 p.m. or the morning of the fair. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated to help us offset costs. Food bank donations will be accepted at the door. Thanks to everyone who has helped/donated so far ~ please come and support our vendors and our church on the day of the fair! NOTE: please park in the grass lot behind the church to save the paved lot for our outside patrons!

In light of the devastating result of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, we are going to be requesting donations during Coffee Hour that will be sent to Americares along with $200 from the Outreach Committee that will hopefully help them help the 10,000+ people in need of food, water, and medical aid.

The United Church of Christ today issued an appeal to church members and friends for $250,000 to support Typhoon Haiyan response efforts. Initial support grants funded by One Great Hour of Sharing have been sent to the ACT Alliance and UCCP. How you can help: Pray for the people impacted by Typhoon Haiyan, UCC partner organizations active in response efforts, and all humanitarian workers. To assist people in recovering from this disaster, please make a gift payable to Seymour Congregational Church with “Typhoon Haiyan” in the memo line.

The Churches of Seymour and Oxford invite you to the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve Service, Wed., November 27th at 7:00 PM at Great Hill UMC, 225 Great Hill Road, Seymour. We come together to give God thanks for our blessings! We will celebrate Holy Communion and join voices with an ecumenical choir.

Advent Worship Opportunity – an early worship experience during Advent, “55 Alive”. At 8:55 AM each Sunday morning, we will offer a brief 30 minute worship experience in the church sanctuary for those who find the holidays busy and hectic – or are just looking for a quiet reflective experience. This service will be a quiet meditative service of music, the word and communion. The first service is on Dec. 1st. Interested or have questions, see Rev. Ed.

Community-Wide Christmas Tree Lighting and Carol Sing – Dec. 1st at 3:00 PM, Broad St. Park (across the street) sponsored by the Friends of the Park and Seymour Congregational Church. This will be followed by a Hot Chocolate Social downstairs. All are invited.

The Parish Life Committee will again this year sponsor a Craft Night/Movie Night for children. It will be held on Friday, Dec. 6th from 6-9 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.

The children will make a Christmas themed craft and then watch a movie. Popcorn and juice will be provided. There is no charge and parents need not attend.

Bring a friend. Sign up sheet is posted. Contact Karen Schuttler or any member of Parish Life for further information.

WHITE GIFTS – On Sunday December 8th, we will begin to prepare for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ with the “Hanging of the Greens” service. We will also have our annual “White Gifts” collection to benefit the Valley Toys-for-Tots. On that Sunday, we ask you to bring a new toy for a boy or girl, wrapped in white (or any color) and place it under our sanctuary Christmas tree. These gifts will be delivered to TEAM, Inc. in Derby for distribution to needy children in the lower Valley towns. There is a special request for gifts suitable for older kids; they typically get lots of things for the littlest angels. No child should be without a gift on Christmas morning, be a cheerful giver! Thank you for sharing your blessings. Yours in the Spirit of Christmas,

2014 FLOWER CHART IS READY AND WAITING FOR YOUR NAME

The new flower chart can be found in the Narthex by the side door. If you would like to order flowers, just write your name and any “Dedication of,” “In Celebration of,” or “In Memory of” on the line next to the date you would like to have flowers. If you would like to TAKE your flowers home after church, just put a big “T” next to your name. Or if you would like to LEAVE the flowers so that our Parish Life Committee can bring your flowers to a shut in or ill parishioner, just put a “L” next to your name.

The flowers will be ordered and delivered to the church for you. The cost is $25. Please make your check out to Seymour Congregational Church and either give it to me or place it in the “Flower” mail box in the office. This is a wonderful way to share your joys with your church family. It is appreciated by all.

Thank you,

Karen Baker

Please send your announcements to the church office by WEDNESDAY morning if you wish them to be included in next Sunday’s bulletin and/or E-Bridge.

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Welcome to this week’s E-bridge

Week of November 3, 2013

DON’T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR SATURDAY NIGHT!!!

Looking ahead to our scripture:

This week’s Scripture come to us from Luke 6:20-31. The powerful words of the beatitudes flow across the hillside and enter into the minds and hearts of those who sat on that hillside. All of them saints in the heart of the divine. You, too, are a saint, and this week we will remember the saints of the Seymour Church and community who have passed on to the eternal during this past year.

The festival of All Saints has become one of the more misunderstood celebrations in the Church year. In liturgical traditions the day has held a high place in the Church’s calendar of feasts and festivals, resounding with the joy of Easter and God’s promise of resurrection made concrete in the raising of Jesus Christ and granted in the particular to all Christians through Holy Baptism. In non-liturgical traditions, however, All Saints Day is scarcely known and rarely observed. In fact, the secular corruption of the festival, Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, stands as a nearly unrecognizable vestige of the festival and demonstrates the insignificant and even ominous place to which it has been relegated.

This Sunday we will raise up the banner so to speak – sing the powerful songs of the Saints, remember our past and maybe look around in the pews and witness today’s saints as we share in the bread and cup. You too are a saint.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SNOWFLAKE FAIR

SATURDAY, November 23rd
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

24 Craft and Specialty Vendor tables, offering hand-painted wooden Santa Claus figurines and ornaments; snow people and soft sculptured snowmen; silk flower arrangements; Amato’s Toy & Hobbies with children’s books, puppets, puzzles, games and craft kits; knitted and crocheted dog coats, towels, pot holders, sweaters, scarves, hats & purses; gift items for cats and the cat lover; wire sculptured jewelry; “Make a Bracelet” and a “Thirty-One” rep will be in the choir room. Our Sunday schoolwill also have tables with items for sale. We will also have an author with her book “Wings Up” and reps from: Tastefully Simple, Origami Owl, Scentsy Candles, Silpada Designs, Party Lite and Tupperware. Raffles for: Gift baskets, wreaths, homemade quilt and decorated trees; ladies boutique, baked goods table, craft area for kids on the stage and breakfast & lunch served in the Snowflake Café. Silent auction for angel-themed tree will benefit the prayer & serenity garden and youth activities; silent auction for a wreath will benefit the church.

Gift baskets, as well as donations for the Boutique and Christmas Treasures room, are due no later than Nov. 17th. Donations for the baked goods table and desserts for lunch can be dropped off the night before from 4:30-7:30 p.m. or the morning of the fair. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated to help us offset costs. Food bank donations will be accepted at the door. Thanks to everyone that has helped/donated so far ~ please come and support our vendors and our church on the day of the fair!

The Parish Life Committee

will again this year sponsor a Craft Night/Movie Night for children. It will be held on Friday, Dec. 6th from 6-9 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. The children will make a Christmas themed craft and then watch a movie. Popcorn and juice will be provided. There is no charge and parents need not attend. Bring a friend. Sign up sheet is posted. Contact Karen Schuttler or any member of Parish Life for further information.

~ Anyone who would like to volunteer to light a candle during Advent, please contact the church office or see Rev. Ed.

~ Ministry opportunities! Would you or your family like to support us so that we can order our Thanksgiving and/or Christmas bulletins and letterhead?

Thanksgiving – $10

Advent – $40 for 4 Sundays

Christmas Eve bulletin, letterhead and mailing – $90

Contact the church office if you are interested.

Sunday Worship Service

November 3, 2013

10:00 AM – Worship

11:00 AM – Coffee Hour

11:15 AM – Cantata Rehearsal – Grab a cup of coffee and come join us! No experience necessary. Just a desire to sing. Come give it a try!

12:00 PM – Adult Choir Rehearsal

Get your creative juices flowing and join us during coffee hour to make crafts to contribute to the Youth Group Table at the Church Fair.

GREETERS: Elwin Jimmo

LAYLEADER: David Tripp

DEACON OF THE MONTH: George Wityak

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OFFICE HOURS THIS WEEK

Reverend – Tues., Wed. & Thurs. – 9:30 AM-4:00 PM

Administrative Asst. – Tues., Wed., & Thurs. – 9:30 AM-1:30 PM

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Calendar of Events

Monday, Nov. 4

3:30 PM Weight Watchers

Tuesday, Nov. 5

6:15 PM Girl Scout #135 7:00 PM Diaconate Mtg.

Thursday, Nov. 7

6:30 PM Special Adult Choir Rehearsal

6:30 PM Girl Scout #135 Leader’s Mtg

7:00 PM A.A. Meeting

About All Saints Day

Some thought gleaned over the years on the particular of All Saints Day.

One of the primary meanings of All Saints is as simple as it is straightforward: we gather to give thanks to God for the Saints of every time and place to whom we are joined in eternal fellowship; for those who have been particularly important to us and who, having died, now live in the nearer presence of God; and for God’s mighty raising of Jesus Christ from the dead so that we might have hope not only in our dying but also in all of our living. In this regard, a reading from Ephesians 1:11-23 would be helpful to you. This reading places forward the inheritance we have in Christ Jesus to live in faith now and to be joined to Christ and all the saints in the life to come.

At the same time, however, the “Festival of All Saints” has become one of the more misunderstood celebrations in the Church year. In liturgical traditions the day has held a high place in the Church’s calendar of feasts and festivals, resounding with the joy of Easter and God’s promise of resurrection understood in the raising of Jesus Christ and granted to all Christians through the sacrament of Baptism. In non-liturgical traditions, (free churches and faith expressions that have drifted away from the lectionary calendar) All Saints Day is scarcely known and rarely observed. In fact, the secular corruption of the festival, Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, stands as a nearly unrecognizable vestige of the festival and demonstrates the insignificant and even ominous place to which it has been relegated. Where then is the “Festival”? Who remembers the saints?

Some thinking about the word “saint” could help here.

First, it’s helpful to know that All Saints Day was originally set aside to commemorate all those martyrs from the early persecutions whose names were never recorded and thus whose memory was in constant peril of being lost. Over time, this celebration was extended to remember all who have lived and died in the faith and now rest eternally and triumphantly from their labors. We continue this aspect of the celebration when we name those persons of our individual parishes who have died in the last year and live now in the glory of God.

A second dimension of the word “saint” was added during the Reformation. (Yes it is I our traditional roots) The reformers reclaimed the New Testament confession that all those who have been baptized into Christ and declared righteous by grace are, in fact, living saints of God. In this regard, it is notable that the Apostle Paul addresses even the Christians in Corinth, those whom he has rebuked and castigated for many and various moral offenses, as saints, or holy ones. (1 Cor. 1:1-9 ) Clearly, then, their sanctity – and our own! – is not one of moral achievement, nor even a complete triumph of grace in their lives, but rests, rather, upon their having been made holy by God’s declaration in Baptism. For this reason, we now celebrate All Saints not by contrasting the saints over there — those who have died and gone on to glory before us — with the would-be saints still over here. Rather we recognize and celebrate our union with those for whom Christ died in every time and every place, a union secured by Christ’s death once and for all, established by our common baptism, nurtured by our life together, and brought to fulfillment in the age to come.

Third, a final thought of the word “saint” emphasizes that a saint is not only one who is made holy, but also one who is blessed by God. It’s in this final context that the reading for this Sunday comes to us from the beatitudes. Luke’s starker, sparer rendition of Jesus’ teaching that we read this year underscores the peculiar, even radical understanding of blessing that animates the Christian tradition. Blessing, according to Jesus, far from being about material abundance, is to enjoy the regard and favor of God. And the God of Israel to whom Jesus bears witness reserves special regard for the poor, the maligned, the downtrodden. This God shows particular favor, that is, to those in need. This Sunday come in need of standing in grace. While this may at first seem threatening to those of us who enjoy so much of the world’s bounty, it also clarifies our calling to identify and help those in need, and it promises that God stands also with us in our moments of loss, distress, and poverty. The heart of the God we hear described in these verses is full of mercy and compassion, abounding in steadfast love.